Congratulations to the 2025 Early Career Researcher Awardees in Asthma!

Trained Immunity in Eosinophils: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities

Dr. Eva Kaufmann, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease driven by exaggerated immune responses to environmental allergens. A type of immune cell called “eosinophil” plays a central role in driving inflammation and damage in the airways. Traditionally, eosinophils were thought to act only as short-lived “fighters” during allergic reactions. However, new data suggests they may also develop a form of “memory” of previous exposures, allowing them to respond more strongly when an allergen is encountered again.

This project explores how this immune memory in eosinophils contributes to ongoing asthma symptoms and whether it can be safely redirected.

By understanding and targeting this memory-like behaviour, our research aims to break the cycle of repeated allergic reactions that amplify the response. Ultimately, this work could lead to new therapies addressing a root cause of asthma, improving quality of life for millions of people affected by allergic diseases.

Evaluating the pyroaeromicrobiome of wildfire smoke and its role in asthma

Dr. Christina Thornton, University of Calgary

Wildfire smoke is becoming a bigger health threat in Canada, especially for people with asthma. Most research has focused on the harmful chemicals and particles in smoke, but less is known about the microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, that smoke may also carry. Our research aims to study whether these smoke-borne microbes may worsen asthma attacks, especially harder-to-treat forms linked to neutrophilic inflammation. To do this, we will study this question in three parts. First, we will identify the living microbes present in wildfire smoke collected during controlled burns and real wildfire events in Canada. Second, we will use large population data from the UK Biobank to test whether wildfire smoke exposure is linked to asthma flare-ups, and whether a person’s microbiome may affect their risk. Third, we will study adults with asthma during wildfire season to see how real-world smoke exposure changes their airway and gut microbes, inflammation and symptoms. In this study, by combining environmental sampling, population health data and patient testing, we aim to provide new insight into how wildfire smoke affects asthma. The findings could help identify people at highest risk and support better prevention, monitoring and potential treatment as wildfire seasons worsen.